Enzo Meets J117https://theoneonesevensite.wordpress.com
Wed, 21 Feb 2018 20:59:39 +0000enhourly1http://wordpress.com/https://s2.wp.com/i/buttonw-com.pngEnzo Meets J117https://theoneonesevensite.wordpress.com
evasion?https://theoneonesevensite.wordpress.com/2012/10/06/evasion/
https://theoneonesevensite.wordpress.com/2012/10/06/evasion/#respondFri, 05 Oct 2012 17:25:30 +0000http://theoneonesevensite.wordpress.com/?p=39Republic Act 10175, the Cybercrime Prevention Act, has been netizens’ talk of the past days. Most of the reactions I’ve read about the law has been downright negative. Some have even labeled it “e-Martial Law”.

I won’t go there. But definitely, some provisions of the law are, hmm, iffy.

Section 19 of the law states that “When a computer data is prima facie found to be in violation of the provisions of this Act, the DOJ shall issue an order to restrict or block access to such computer data.”

Wow. In other words, websites may just be shut down. Blogs, news sites, social networking sites, all these may be taken down now because of the law. This lessens the freedom of speech we currently are enjoying.

Another, and perhaps more terrible issue here is the fact that any crime committed online will have a penalty one degree more severe than it would be if it were done offline. It does not make sense. Why is online considered such a terrible act? Why is it that it should carry a heavier punishment?

For journalists and bloggers, the law handicaps them. One thing these entities do is criticize. Saying negative things about another person, the government, for example, especially if it contains dirty words or phrases, would be illegal. If this were to be, then how would journalists tell the truth? How could they educate the masses in this case?

Now that the 2013 elections are nearing, maybe this is why the law was passed. Because during the elections or the time leading to it, a lot of supporters of one party slings mud over to the other side, and vice versa. Sometimes even the party members themselves. That’s the only logical reason I could think off.

That’s why the politicians may have passed the bill. Maybe they just wanted to avoid criticism. Something like this piece that I wrote.

]]>https://theoneonesevensite.wordpress.com/2012/10/06/evasion/feed/0enzoregondolaBig things come in small packages like iPhoneshttps://theoneonesevensite.wordpress.com/2012/09/07/big-things-come-in-small-packages-like-iphones/
https://theoneonesevensite.wordpress.com/2012/09/07/big-things-come-in-small-packages-like-iphones/#respondFri, 07 Sep 2012 14:03:51 +0000http://theoneonesevensite.wordpress.com/?p=36As I type this sentence on my laptop, I’m also using my tablet for Twitter. Multitasking is what it’s called.

I’m not alone. Based on a study, that’s exactly what’s happening. The Google research I mentioned earlier showed that consumers still use the television the most, watching 43 minutes per day. On the side, though, they also use their smartphones.

An Apple A Day

The study found that most online activities begin on a smartphone. I see a breaking news tweet about Jesse Robredo’s plane crashing and I go to a news channel on the nearest TV screen. I read a Facebook status saying UP is winning against Ateneo in the fourth quarter then I turn on the TV and cheer for UP.

It starts on a smartphone, a tablet, a laptop. Bottom line: it starts online.

This makes life tougher for journalists. Who reads physical newspapers now, that bulky set of wrappers used in markets to wrap fish? Compare that to an iPad, for example, or an iPhone. Smaller in size and is more functional than a physical newspaper. One would rather go online.

But because of social media, journalists are not the lone news reporters anymore. Anyone with a Twitter account can now be journalists. The only difference between me and TJ Manotoc reporting play-by-play what goes on in an Ateneo-UP game is the number of followers he has compared to me.

Those with access to smartphones/tablets will use that technology instead of traditional media for information. These technologies serve as guides to what people will look for elsewhere. I’ve had instances where I was surfing Twitter in a mall, found something interesting, and looked it up on TV or in my laptop when I got home.

The study’s results are probably not as apparent here in the Philippines as it is in the US. But to those who have access to portable, online-capable gadgets, these results apply (case in point, me).

MVP delivered a speech yesterday at the 6th Internet and Mobile Marketing Association of the Philippines (IMMAP) Summit.

He said that “we must embrace, rather than resist, the digital tsunami.”

The business tycoon said his plans for the telecommunications companies that he owns.

PLDT would continuously upgrade bandwidth support to accommodate more customers. Smart, on the other hand will launch its 4G network capable of 42MBps data delivery.

“Access to high-speed mobile internet will therefore become more widely available all over the country,” he said.

Pangilinan also praised Apple and the emergence of smartphones and tablets.

“Apple has succeeded because their devices put context with the customer, especially with the application universe, which makes Apple devices more interesting,” he said.

To ride this trend, MVP mentioned that offering media services such as local playslists, music, and video, will benefit customers.

While MVP made statements when it comes to digital matters, he admitted that he is not digital himself.

“I must admit I’m not a digital native or a certified techie,” MVP said.

“For my heart to be truly in digital, it’s time to act like a digital native.”

]]>https://theoneonesevensite.wordpress.com/2012/08/25/mvpdigita/feed/0enzoregondolaTragedy on Twitterhttps://theoneonesevensite.wordpress.com/2012/08/25/tragedy-on-twitter/
https://theoneonesevensite.wordpress.com/2012/08/25/tragedy-on-twitter/#respondFri, 24 Aug 2012 20:37:37 +0000http://theoneonesevensite.wordpress.com/?p=32As the Ateneo de Manila Blue Eagles and the Far Eastern University Tamaraws were dueling each other on the basketball court, three other people were dueling with death.

One of them was DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo.

I was too tired to watch the game on TV so I was cooped in my room, relaxing, while my tablet was on Twitter. Tweets streamed in about the game. But there were a whole lot of Jesse Robredo tweets. This caught my attention. A plane crashed and a high-ranking government official was onboard.

Soon, my attention was taken off the game, and more on updates about Jesse Robredo. The top tweets I followed were from Karen Davila, Rappler, ANC, and Inquirer.

*****

I watched the ANC news immediately after reading these tweets. They reported mostly the same contents as they were tweeting. I understood the similarity because the event was fresh.

However, days later, once events started developing, lines started solidifying between traditional media and social media.

On Twitter, everything about the search and rescue operations were broadcast. I always saw news outlets quoting DOTC secretary Mar Roxas. I always read updates informing the public of every little detail.

On the other hand, television, radio reports, and newspaper articles cannot afford to do this. Because of limited airtime and space, they can only air the most important details of the event. In short, they are more selective. Social media allows for less selectivity.

Not to state the obvious, but social media delivers news quicker. This divide is especially evident when juxtaposing social media with newspapers. Because it takes more time to produce newspapers than to tweet, there was a possibility that Twitter updates overtake those of print media. Luckily, no developments happened at night when deadlines have already passed.

*****

It was indeed a tragic event in our history. Social media kept its users very much on-the-loop with what was going on in Masbate. With every day that passed, netizens made their sadnesses felt very quickly, and the only place to air these was online.

]]>https://theoneonesevensite.wordpress.com/2012/08/25/tragedy-on-twitter/feed/0enzoregondolaA slam dunk site, and one that’s tumbling downhttps://theoneonesevensite.wordpress.com/2012/08/05/a-slam-dunk-site-and-one-thats-tumbling-down/
https://theoneonesevensite.wordpress.com/2012/08/05/a-slam-dunk-site-and-one-thats-tumbling-down/#respondSun, 05 Aug 2012 06:23:36 +0000http://theoneonesevensite.wordpress.com/?p=29For a significant amount of my internet-surfing life, which amounts to about six or seven years, one subject trumps all: the NBA. I’ve been immersed neck-deep in it ever since 2001 when I was 9. It wasn’t until 2005 when I started reading about it regularly.

Every afternoon, once I get home, I would go straight to the PC, open Internet Explorer, go to an NBA site, and check that day’s game results. If I could make my own newspaper, it would be all about the NBA.

Which brings me to my favorite site. You’d probably think that since I read a lot of NBA, then NBA.com would be my favorite web page. No, it’s not. It’s actually the NBA portal of Yahoo! Sports (NYS). Why? Well…

our PC’s homepage back then was Yahoo!, hence it was easier to navigate to Yahoo! Sports

NBA.com and NYS report on the NBA. They have the same results displayed in their sites. They MUST have the same results displayed; otherwise, Mr. Commissioner David Stern, we have a problem.

We didn’t have a decently fast internet connection back then. NBA.com loaded slower and I wanted to save time, so I opted for NYS.

These are actually the reasons why I started visiting NYS regularly. And since I am a creature of habit, I became a regular. And, just like NBA.com, it’s got all I need: scores, news, game recaps, analysis, opinion, columns. It also has a blog which I find entertaining at times.

*****

On the other hand, if I have a favorite, of course I also have a site I don’t like. I like all the sites I visit regularly because, hey, why regularly visit a site you dislike?

Here’s a clue about the site. It has lots of users, I have a number of friends with accounts here, you may also have a lot of friends with accounts here, its name is something you can put water in. Last clue: it starts with T and ends with R.

No, not Twitter. It’s Tumblr.

I actually have a Tumblr account. I used it for about 3 minutes then shelved it. Remember I said our internet connection wasn’t the best? I was setting up my account back then, but it took forever for the page to load. I just stopped and said, “Oh, the heck with this.”

That was three years ago. But looking at my friends’ Tumblr accounts now, majority of the posts I see are not original. They’re just reblogs of other people’s posts. That idea just doesn’t fit well with me. I mean, why reblog, why not just blog? Reblogging seems superficial. Sure, WordPress has the reblog feature, but content generation is still the name of the game.

Which is why I commend those who post original creations on their Tumblr accounts.

*****

I can’t think of any more sites I hate. But I can come up with more of my beloved sites. Simply put, I like simplicity and ease of use, and those sites which are slow-internet-connection-friendly.

]]>https://theoneonesevensite.wordpress.com/2012/08/05/a-slam-dunk-site-and-one-thats-tumbling-down/feed/0enzoregondolaState of the Nation Apparel 2012https://theoneonesevensite.wordpress.com/2012/07/27/sona2012/
https://theoneonesevensite.wordpress.com/2012/07/27/sona2012/#respondFri, 27 Jul 2012 09:04:54 +0000http://theoneonesevensite.wordpress.com/?p=26For the first time, I watched the State of the Nation Address (SONA) with a purpose. Unlike in previous years when I would just tune in to hear what the president has to say, this year I was more attentive. Well, you can’t be inattentive when you are tasked to live tweet about it. Sensible tweets, not “Wow, lumaki ata noo at hairline ni P-Noy” tweets.

********

(Some, or most, ideas in this blog entry were lifted from my Journalism 110 ethics class paper, where we were asked to also talk about how media covered the SONA.)

One thing that I know media never fails to cover is the SONA fashion show. It’s not hard to see why. Just look at the gowns of the lady senators and representatives. Designer gowns, tailor-made for something like a movie awards night. Wow! How can media not cover that, right?

Of course they did. They always do.

I was tuned in at around 2:30 pm to DZMM on the radio during their pre-SONA coverage. Like any news and public affairs show would, Karen Davila and Vic Lima were analyzing and forecasting what President Benigno Aquino III, in his third SONA, will or will not say. They were looking at various sectors of society, from economy, agriculture, and education, among others.

One of their reporters in the Congress interviewed Senator Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero. Davila and Lima threw the serious questions at him, the typical ones like what is he expecting from P-Noy’s speech. In short, they were asking him what they were already talking about in their program.

Sometime later, it was Senator Pia Cayetano’s time to be interviewed. She wore a 1920s style terno (I saw her outfit during the SONA itself. I didn’t know what she was wearing was a terno. And I didn’t see anything 1920s about it).

I also tuned in to the evening news of ABS-CBN, TV Patrol, and I was actually happy with what I saw. They aired news about the SONA fashion, but to their credit, they did not air it as one of the top news stories of the night. Instead, they made it the last story of the night. Typically, that last segment is dedicated to light things like Mga Kwento ni Marc Logan, you know, something less serious. I’m glad they considered the SONA fashion show as a “less serious” matter.

Still, some people will jeer ABS-CBN for including the State of the Nation Apparel in their SONA coverage. I disagree with them. Davila and Lima run a commentary program. And most, if not all, of their programs that day already attempted to predict P-Noy’s speech. It will be redundant to talk about the same things over and over and over again. And perhaps, it doesn’t hurt to include a lighthearted story here and there.

Look, would you want them spending a lot of airtime with apparel news in TV Patrol or any evening news program, for that matter? Of course not. It was a story which will inevitably be picked up and reported to the public. It was a good thing a big chunk of that reporting time was spent in a program which can afford to be less serious and not in the nightly news.

So far, this is a very welcome improvement in the SONA coverage regarding attires. Now it is not a dominant news item. Maybe slowly it will turn from an attention-grabbing baro’t saya to a plain pair of denim jeans – from headline to afterthought.

]]>https://theoneonesevensite.wordpress.com/2012/07/27/sona2012/feed/0enzoregondolaCornerstone Missinghttps://theoneonesevensite.wordpress.com/2012/07/06/cornerstone/
https://theoneonesevensite.wordpress.com/2012/07/06/cornerstone/#respondFri, 06 Jul 2012 14:25:23 +0000http://theoneonesevensite.wordpress.com/?p=23With the needed documents at hand, I left Muntinlupa’s police station and went back home. With hours to go before the 3pm deadline, I still had time to eat lunch, like and comment on a few – or maybe a lot of – Facebook statuses, write the article, rewrite it, and rewrite it again. Repeat the same process, except for the eating part, for the second story.

All in a casual pace. No pressure.

This happened during my Journ 102 news reporting class. It was the day of our simulation as real-life journalists on the field, assigned to a city, and given a deadline to turn in two stories by 3pm. While this was a good training method, it happened only once during the duration of the course. I’ve only done it once in my entire stay in UP as a journalism student.

This is probably the biggest difference the industry expects from us versus what we are trained to do. Journalists are expected to be strict about deadlines. The industry is strict about it, the University teaches it. But the University does not give it enough emphasis.

This Journ 117 class is so far my fourth journalism writing class after J101, 102, and 111. In those classes, our professors always gave us a minimum of one week to submit our works. It does not matter what kind of story it was: police story, court story, feature story, profile, whatever. It was always a week. Sometimes, even more.

My guess is I’m not the only one to experience this. Which is why graduates go into the industry and experience a shock. They end up scrambling to beat deadlines, sacrificing quality along the way. Deadlines are taught but not emphasized.

Another ingredient missing in journalism training in school is the lack of online utilization. I read my Twitter news feed. Lots of my “followees” are news organizations (Rappler, Inquirer, ANC, GMA News, ABS-CBN News). Something in common: they tweet A LOT. This medium reaches many people at the same time.

The problem is that I have yet to encounter a class which teaches the right way (if there exists a ‘right’ way) to broadcast written articles on Twitter. Or how to effectively use social media for stories. While this is provided in Journ 117, which is online journalism, that is not enough. Now, online is the medium. Online skills must also be taught to J101 and J102 students. The basics would already be very helpful.

Problem is that those missing are some of the most important things in the industry today. And this generation of journalists-in-training can’t afford to miss these crucial elements. We live in the information age, where everything is quick. One missed move and you will be left behind.

]]>https://theoneonesevensite.wordpress.com/2012/07/06/cornerstone/feed/0enzoregondolaLOL: Love Online (no, not the Filipino film of the same title)https://theoneonesevensite.wordpress.com/2012/07/03/lol-love-online-no-not-the-filipino-film-of-the-same-title/
https://theoneonesevensite.wordpress.com/2012/07/03/lol-love-online-no-not-the-filipino-film-of-the-same-title/#commentsMon, 02 Jul 2012 16:14:21 +0000http://theoneonesevensite.wordpress.com/?p=20It was not a grand conversation. It was not about food. It was not even about them. It was simply a conversation about Glee.

That was how Joy Cabaltera met Jeff Tagle online. Through Twitter, they talked Glee. That was almost two years ago in September 2010. Around that time, Glee’s second season was starting.

Fast-forward 21 months and, just like that, now they have been gleefully married for two months now.

Joy said they’ve been tweeting each other for days before actually meeting each other. “We were talking to each other for a few days. Then our friends started noticing us on their news feeds. That’s when I decided ayoko na ng online,” she said.

She mentioned the notion among people that online “courtship” (writer’s own words), such as the one she was in, was taboo.

Tweeting publicly for everyone to see stopped. This turned to direct messages (DMs) sent to each other. Soon enough, it went offline. After a week, they started texting each other. Then calling. The only missing piece is actually seeing each other.

“A few days,” to use Joy’s words, was all it took.

“He asked me out to see his Lego collection in Megamall,” she added. This was the first time they personally saw each other.

It took long for them to see eye-to-eye for the first time because of the distance between them. Joy was from Antipolo. Jeff was from Parañaque. They really were a long way from one another.

That long distance eventually culminated in the ultimate expression of love – marriage. Joy officially became Joy Cabaltera-Tagle on April 20, 2012.

“The date was 420,” said Joy, with a laugh alongside. “420” is a popular term related to marijuana-smoking.

Currently, Joy and Jeff are maintaining a food blog at www.nom-mage.com. The blog, in the “About us” section, says, “The two are no food critics, nor are they authorities on what’s good and what’s not. This is simply a journal of their journeys of nourishment and sustenance around and outside the Metro.”

The two are also social media advocates. Last Saturday’s Social Media Day was the first of its kind in the Philippines. Joy and Jeff Tagle served as the event’s hosts for that afternoon.

Their love story is an example of just how powerful social media is and can be, which is why their hosting of the event was very fitting.

Social media allowed Joy and Jeff to find love. The question now: what can social media NOT do?

]]>https://theoneonesevensite.wordpress.com/2012/07/03/lol-love-online-no-not-the-filipino-film-of-the-same-title/feed/1enzoregondolaGoing Through Changeshttps://theoneonesevensite.wordpress.com/2012/06/23/going-through-changes/
https://theoneonesevensite.wordpress.com/2012/06/23/going-through-changes/#respondFri, 22 Jun 2012 17:50:24 +0000http://theoneonesevensite.wordpress.com/?p=13The saying “change is the only constant thing in the world” is very true in the world of journalism.

Information dissemination is the primary aim of the profession. At this age, when information is fast and abundant, changes in journalism happen rapidly. Gone are the days when the public hear the news 24 hours after it happened. Now, it might even be surprising to hear about something 24 minutes after it happened. It seems too long a gap.

The trend nowadays is moving towards online journalism (OJ). I agree with what Paul Bradshaw said: “Employers will be (and are) frustrated at graduates who can spot a story in a press release but not a tweet, forum thread, or dataset; at those who can write a 300 word print piece but cannot adapt their style for the latest web platform; who will buy one source a drink but not invest the same time in building trust with dozens on social networks.”

He is emphasizing OJ’s role in the journ world. With lots of information available on Twitter and other networking sites, stories are bound to be found in these sources. Having no nose for news in these places puts one at a disadvantage.

Which brings one of Jeff Jarvis’ points to the picture: he wants journalism education to be taught online to professionals “who obviously need to learn new skills as the industry convulses around them”. For me, it is a little bit too idealistic, but necessary nonetheless.

By educating journalists about the online methods, which are more effective as it can show pictures and videos along with the news article, journalists may disrupt the industry, in a good way of course, as Jarvis said.

Change is the only constant thing in the world. And as the information age is rapidly growing, journalism must catch up, and the only way to catch up is through change.

]]>https://theoneonesevensite.wordpress.com/2012/06/23/going-through-changes/feed/0enzoregondolaHow is online journalism changing media as we know it?https://theoneonesevensite.wordpress.com/2012/06/15/change/
https://theoneonesevensite.wordpress.com/2012/06/15/change/#respondThu, 14 Jun 2012 16:02:45 +0000http://theoneonesevensite.wordpress.com/?p=6Weeks ago, a PBA Finals match-up was played. I think it was the last game of the seven-game series. I was out of the house. While the game was ongoing, I didn’t have access to a TV, but I had internet. I was so bored that I was just watching my Twitter feed refresh and refresh, waiting for interesting updates.

I didn’t have to wait too long for those tweets to come. During the final few minutes of the game, when it was close, a stream of tweets came in, most of them talking about the game situation. This went on for the rest of the game until it ended, and even then, the tweets about the game never ceased.

Without seeing the game on TV, it still seemed like I watched it. I felt the tension of the airtight contest just by reading tweets, thanks to Twitter.

That has been one of, if not the best change media has experienced because of online journ. Speed is the name of the game now. All it takes is 140 characters to deliver news. And those 140 may also bring to life the characters in the story by way of photos, videos, and audio clips.